It is known that vehicles have been equipped with storage assemblies. Vehicular storage assemblies have been located externally on the vehicle, which are commonly referred to in the art as “roof racks” or “article carriers,” that permit a user to secure large items, such as luggage, bicycles, skis, or the like, over the vehicle's outer roof structure, which is exposed to the elements. Vehicular storage assemblies have also been located within a passenger compartment area of the vehicle, such as, for example, a glove box or armrest, to stow smaller items, such as roadmaps, coins, compact discs, or the like.
Passenger compartment storage assemblies have also been located proximate the roof or ceiling, which is commonly referred to in the art as a “headliner,” in an overhead configuration relative to the seating position of vehicle occupants. Headliner-located storage assemblies, which have also been referred to in the art as “overhead consoles,” are typically fastened to the decorative show surface of the headliner during the vehicle manufacturing process. Overhead consoles typically provide storage bins for stowing other smaller item, such as sunglasses, garage door openers, and the like.
Other known overhead storage assemblies comprise a deployable tray attached to a housing. To deploy the tray from the housing, it has been required to pivot the tray in a first motion about a pair of common pivot points away from the headliner prior to pulling the tray in a second motion so that the operator may deposit or access contents in the tray. Because the design of such conventional assemblies include the pivoting action of the tray in a first motion, the weight of the tray and items stored therein add stress to the pair of common pivot points, which may cause mechanical failure of the assembly. To relieve the stress from the pair of common pivot points, such conventional overhead assemblies require a counterbalance or counter-weight mechanism. Additionally, upon pivotably deploying the tray in the first motion, items stored within the tray may be undesirably ejected or shifted as the tray pivots from a generally horizontal, stowed position to a partially deployed, inclined position. Even further, the counterbalance mechanism adds parts and increases cost of the assembly. Yet even further, the combination of the first pivoting motion and second pulling motion presents an awkward, cumbersome presentation of the tray to the operator.
As such, a need exists for an improved overhead storage assembly that reduces cost, reduces shifting of stored items during tray deployment, and presents a smooth deployment of the tray to the operator.